1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a bumper attachment and more particularly to a portable rolling bumper attachment that can be easily attached and detached to a vehicle in several different positions so as to allow one vehicle to push another vehicle regardless of vehicle size variations.
2. Description of Related Art
Invention and use of rolling bumper attachments is known to the public, as such attachments are frequently employed as vehicle safety devices.
For example, Kite, U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,122 discloses a rolling bumper attachment for use as a safety device in the event of a vehicle collision. The device includes two horizontal rollers that are rotatably supported on the rear side of a front vehicle bumper adjacent to each end of the bumper. Thus, the rollers remain dormant unless the bumper is shoved rearwardly during a collision. However, in the even of a collision, the rollers move into rolling contact with the front wheels of the vehicle so that the wheels may continue to rotate. This enables the driver to maintain better control over the vehicle.
A roller configuration is likewise employed as a safety device in Zhu U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,939. This invention includes a set of vertical, parallel rollers consisting of a center shaft and an elastomeric buffer component sheathed around the shaft for freely rotating around it. The rollers are fixed on the car body at a location proximate to the vehicle wheels so that if and when an object comes into contact with the moving vehicle, the rollers effectively push the object out of the dangerous wheel area, thereby preventing injuries or damages.
Bumper attachments can also be used to enable one vehicle to push another. However, although both of the above described devices utilize a rolling, bumper mounted configuration, neither are appropriately designed for such activities. When a vehicle becomes stuck or breaks down unexpectedly, extra measures must be taken to move the vehicle to a desired location. Unfortunately, the bumper provided on almost all standard motor vehicles is not suited to push another vehicle. Thus, in such situations, it is often necessary to have the vehicle towed or pushed to a desired location by a specialized service station vehicle, a procedure which is typically quite expensive. To compound the problem, some vehicles, such as those employed in off-road trips, become indisposed at remote locations in the desert, mountains or the like, and are thus not readily available for these professional services regardless of the price.
Thus, there is a clear need for a bumper attachment that allows a standard automobile to push another. Burleson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,877 discloses one such rolling vehicle bumper. This bumper, designed to be secured to the front bumper of the pushing vehicle, has a resilient roller rotatably mounted on a bracket. The spin of the roller, together with its resilient construction, prevents a drag on and damage to a vehicle being pushed by the other. Usually, a pair of pushing bumpers are disposed in symmetrical relation on the front vehicle bumper for assuring continuous contact between at least one of the pushing bumpers and the vehicle being pushed.
However, while this device may be capable of enabling the pushing of a vehicle in some circumstances, its configuration limits it to very specific uses and makes it generally impractical. For instance, Burleson's bumper attachment, as with the other described prior art, is secured onto a vehicle in a permanent fashion, so that once the rollers are attached they stay in place on the vehicle. While this may be desirable when the roller is employed as a safety device, it is particularly impractical for pushing applications, as typically this is not a daily event, but rather an occasional one. The permanency of the prior art attachments also makes them impractical in that it forces one set of rollers to be purchased for every pushing vehicle.
Secondly, none of the other prior art has height adjustability features. Thus, if the vehicle to be pushed is of a different size than the vehicle containing the rollers, the pushing operation is impossible. And, considering the expansive variety of different vehicles commercially available today, bumper incompatibility is a significant limiting factor.
Even further, none of the prior art includes distance adjustability means. Thus, Burleson's device always positions the two vehicles at a fixed distance from one another. This, too, is impractical for effective, convenient vehicle pushing, as it is often desirable to place different sized and shaped vehicles at varying distances from one another depending on the terrain and other such factors.
Another drawback of Burleson's device, like the others, is that it is only attachable to the front bumper of a vehicle. However, in some instances it is more desirable to place a roller on the rear bumper of the vehicle to be pushed rather than the pushing vehicle. The prior art is incapable of this versatility.
Thus, there is a clear need for a rolling vehicle bumper attachment that can be quickly attached and detached to the front, rear or even sides of a vehicle at a selectable height and distance from the vehicle so as to efficiently, conveniently, and effectively facilitate the pushing of one vehicle with another. The prior art does not teach such applications, while the present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.